Updated recommendations on lung cancer screening from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force this week means that about 15 million people will now be eligible for screening that will be paid for by Medicare and private insurers.

People who are 50-80-years-old, and who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for the past 20 years, and who are currently smoking or have quit within the last 15 years are eligible to be screened annually, said Craig Cooper, spokesperson for Genesis Health Systems.

The new guidelines decreased the age and pack year requirements, Cooper said.

With the recommendation from the task force, Cooper said that private insurers are required to cover the service at no cost to the patient. Medicare and private insurers may take up to 12 months to adopt the new coverage requirement.

Cooper said that Genesis Pulmonology Associates and Silvis Pulmonology are offering the recommended low-dose computed tomography screening for qualified patients. The non-invasive procedure takes only a few minutes to complete. The screenings are scheduled at Genesis imaging locations.

The goal is to catch lung cancer before patients experience symptoms, as early detection is the key to improving outcomes for patients diagnosed with lung cancer. Early detection can increase the 5-year survival rate by 55%, Cooper said.

People interested in being screened for lung cancer are encouraged to talk to their primary care providers or call the Genesis Lung Cancer Screening Program at 563-421-5864.